Steve Yzerman was born on the 9th May 1965, in Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada, and is a former professional hockey player who spent his entire career with the NHL team the Detroit Red Wings; Yzerman played centre and is considered as one of the greatest players of all time, and being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Thanks to his long career and hockey skills, Yzerman’s net worth significantly increased; his career started in 1983 and ended in 2006.
Have you ever wondered how rich Steve Yzerman is, as of mid- 2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Steve Yzerman’s net worth is as high as $40 million, earned largely through his successful career in the NHL. In addition to being an icon of this sport, Yzerman is currently working as the general manager of the NHL team the Tampa Bay Lightning, which is still improving his wealth.
Steve Yzerman Net Worth $40 Million
Stephen Gregory Yzerman grew up in the Nepean suburb of Ottawa, Ontario, and went to Bell High School while playing hockey for Nepean Raiders Junior A. The Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League drafted Yzerman in 1981, and he played there until 1983. Mike and Marian Ilitch had purchased the Detroit Red Wings in 1982, and the 1983 season was their first as the club’s new owners, and they wanted to draft local kid Pat LaFontaine, but the New York Islanders selected him as the 3rd pick in the first round. They instead opted for Steve Yzerman as the 4th pick, and he went on to become an irreplaceable player for the franchise.
Yzerman recorded 39 goals and 48 assists in his rookie season, and finished second in the voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year) award. He became the youngest ever player to appear in the NHL All-Star Game at 18 years, 267 days, a record which lasted for 27 years until broken by Jeff Skinner, by just eight days. In 1986/87 season, the head coach Jacques Demers named Yzerman as a team captain, becoming the youngest captain in the team’s history at 21 years of age.
Yzerman led the Red Wings to their first divisional title in 23 years, and in 1988/89 recorded 65 goals and 90 assists to finish third in points behind Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky, but was named the league’s MVP by the NHL Players Association, and was a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy, an MVP award by the NHL writers.
Scotty Bowman took over from Demers in 1993, and the relationship between him and Yzerman was quite cold, and the Red Wings even considered trading Yzerman to the Ottawa Senators, at the time one of the worst teams in the league. Yzerman drastically improved in defence and the team decided to keep him, so he led them to the 1994/95 Stanley Cup Finals, their first since 1966. However, the New Jersey Devils’ golden generation swept them in four games.
The next season, there were rumours that Detroit wanted to trade Yzerman to the Montreal Canadiens, but he stayed and helped them in winning 62 regular season games and becoming the hot favourites for the title. They defeated Wayne Gretzky’s St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Semifinals, but lost to the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in the Conference Finals.
In 1997, the Detroit Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup in 42 years after destroying the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0 in the Finals. In 1998, Detroit won back to back titles after sweeping the Washington Capitals, and Yzerman won the MVP Award. In October 1999, Yzerman became the 11th player to score 600 goals in the NHL. His net worth continued to grow.
In 2001/02 season Yzerman suffered a knee injury, and missed 30 regular season games, but was healthy enough to lead his team to its tenth Stanley Cup with a win over the Carolina Hurricanes. His knee injury troubled him again in the 2002/03 season, so he was forced to miss the first 66 matches of the year. In May 2004, Yzerman suffered an eye injury from a deflected puck, and had an operation, forcing him to miss the rest of the season as well as the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
In 2005, Yzerman penned his last professional one-year contract with the Red Wings, and scored his final goal against Calgary Flames in April 2006. He announced his retirement in July 2006.
Apart from managing the Canadian national team, Steve was subsequently named the Red Wings team vice-president, but in 2010 he moved to a more hands-on position with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he remains to the present.
Regarding his personal life, Steve Yzerman has three children with his wife Lisa Brennan, and the family currently reside in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Yzerman also has American citizenship.
